Salazar’s Big Plays Stop Rival

Pitcher Jodie Cox gets most of the attention at Quartz Hill High, but it was her battery-mate who gave the Rebels a charge Monday night in the Division I championship game of the High Desert Classic.

Olaya Salazar, a 5-foot-3 junior catcher, threw out two baserunners in crucial situations and was two for three with a run batted in to spark Quartz Hill to a 2-0 victory over Golden League rival Highland before more than 500 at Lancaster City Park.

Salazar’s first-inning single to right field drove in Cox from second base for the only run the Rebels (13-1) would need.

Cox (13-1), The Times’ Valley player of the year as a junior, struck out 14, walked none and allowed seven singles in improving her career record to 60-19.

She is 49-9 since Salazar took over the catching duties as a freshman in 1997.

“That girl is awesome,” said Cox, who had an RBI double in the fifth. “[Salazar has] done wonders for us, and we work so well together. She always knows what I’m thinking.”

It was a bitter loss for Highland (9-4), which fell to its nemesis for the fourth consecutive time, including the championship game of the 1998 High Desert Classic.

Right-hander Nichole Rawson (9-3) threw a four-hitter, struck out 10 and was two for three for the Bulldogs, who had scored 29 runs in three previous tournament games.

Salazar thwarted a first-inning threat by throwing out Natalie Rawson at third base after a wild pitch.

With Highland runners on first and third with one out in the sixth, Salazar threw out Melissa Rawson attempting to steal second.

“That was the play of the game right there,” Quartz Hill co-Coach Coy Ray said.

In Division I games:

Crescenta Valley 2, Paraclete 1--Melinda Moulden went two for three for Crescenta Valley (6-4) in the third-place game.

Meredith Cervenka (6-4) allowed four hits and struck out 10. Ally Weber scored in the first on Cervenka’s sacrifice fly and Melanie McCauley scored in the fourth on a wild pitch.

Arcadia 6, Moorpark 5--The Musketeers (4-4) trailed, 6-2, before rallying for three runs in the seventh inning of the fifth-place game.

Harvard-Westlake 4, Valencia 3--Ronnie Brooks drove in the winning run in the sixth with a two-out single for the Wolverines (5-6) in the seventh-place game.

Becca Goldfarb went three for four for Harvard-Westlake.

Alemany 7, Ridgecrest Burroughs 3--Freshman Kaitlin Reiss hit her second and third home runs and had three RBIs for Alemany (5-6) in a consolation game.

Palmdale 6, Louisville 4--Palmdale (7-6) overcame a 4-0 deficit with six runs in the fifth inning of a consolation game.

Stephany Juarez’s two-run single broke a 4-4 tie and Mo Saldana and Sierra Shinkle each had two hits for the Falcons. Christine Jordt had two hits for Louisville.

Lancaster 2, Apple Valley 1--Erin Johnson’s RBI fielder’s choice with none out in the bottom of the seventh broke a 1-1 tie in a consolation game.

In Division II games:

Garfield 3, Antelope Valley 2--Kelly Bleyl threw a four-hitter for the Antelopes (6-3), but Garfield rallied for two runs in the seventh and another in the eighth in the championship game.

Burbank 3, Serrano 0--Amanda Defusco had a two-run single for the Bulldogs (6-4) in the consolation final.